Event: Abort! Part Two (day 25, Egret). Luggage carriage

[voidtreckermods]

They are on world world#27462947582 for about five hours, helping, ushering people out of the city, fighting monsters, keeping guard. All seems well in the city itself, peaceful even except for the slight panic of people being told to move south.

Wherever they are, north in the desert, travelling through the countryside to the south or still in the city itself they will notice from their peripheral vision a darkening of the sky. Looking up they will see clouds. Strange clouds, appearing in the blue sky out of nowhere.

Their SCA’s start beeping, rapidly, flashing red. The clouds are too weird to be clouds, dark shapes in the sky. It might be that the Voidtreckers heed the warning and tap their SCA to evacuate to the train. It might be that they do not.

If they don’t then there is a moment, a moment of absolute stillness as those around them notice the shapes. A confused pause. Children stop their chatter, people stop their complaining, even the monsters seem to sense something and pause in their attacks.

The remaining voidtreckers are yanked away, even without pressing their SCA, they glow gold and disappear.

They all appear in the luggage carriage and not even a second later, with no warning the train lurches, flinging everyone off their feet as it enters the void.

It’s not really easy to tell speed in the void, but they will get the sense that they are moving fast. Faster than before, leaving that world and whatever those shapes were behind.

(OOC: Information on this event is here and part one is here)

Comments

[maxwellsdaemon]

Duo was relieved she was already, he would have felt guilty if she'd accidentally landed on one of his blades when she'd fallen into him. Though he was surprised when the tables were turned and she began to look at him intently for injuries. He had to grin. "I'm alright." He assured her, his grin widening. "Nothing hurt but my pride. But rescuing a princess goes a long way to fixing that so I think I'm good for now!"

Maybe he'd have an interesting bruise in the morning. But certainly nothing to worry a medic with, especially when he was sure there would be other people with more serious injuries to be looked after.

[happyends]

Madoka is still staring at him for a moment more, even as he gives her that answer. His grin is pretty convincing, but the girl has grown so used to people who just won't tell her when anything is wrong that she can't help but want to look for another moment to assure herself he is alright and not just trying to hide something big from her.

But she can't spot anything obvious. Which means there probably can't be something huge wrong with him. Not to mention Madoka is way too polite to push for something like that with a stranger, so after a moment she just ends up nodding slightly.

"Okay." Apparently she was so focused on trying to make sure he's okay that the princess comment went way over her head.. Although that's most likely for the better, since otherwise she'd just get flustered all over again! "I'm glad you're alright, um.."

It's only now that she seems to realise she doesn't even know his name.

"S-Sorry! I should have introduced myself earlier.." Madoka quickly bows. "My name is Madoka, Madoka Kaname! It's nice to meet you, um-- despite the circumstances, that is!"

[maxwellsdaemon]

Duo wasn't sure why she was staring at him like that, he wasn't lying! Okay, maybe he wasn't admitting to the potential to have a bruise on his back but it wasn't anything really medical. Bruises happened!

His thoughts were derailed by the sudden change in the girls behaviour and he laughed. "Ah, we're bowing now? Wait, you're Japanese?" Duo grinned and returned her bow with one of his own. "I'm Duo Maxwell, pleasure to meet you, Madoka."

[happyends]

"I am.. Is it that obvious?" She smiles as she asks that, at least, even though it's slightly shyly. (Yes, Madoka, it is quite obvious with your kind of name and your overly polite ways, despite your candy pink hair...)

"Honestly, even though I've been here for a while, part of me is still getting used to the fact so many people here aren't.." And Duo.. probably isn't? His name doesn't sound very Japanese, at least. Madoka knows that much. "I'm sorry if it seems slightly odd."

[maxwellsdaemon]

"Not so much. The pink kinda confused me. But the bowing and the name, those make it obvious." And it clearly didn't bother him, in fact it made him somewhat happy to know there were other people from Earth around. Even if they were from a different kind of Earth... and even if technically he was born in space and not on Earth...

"It's reassuring, not odd." Duo replied with a laugh. "I wasn't born on Earth, I was born in a colony above the Earth. But my colony was mostly american and english speaking I guess? But I know Japanese well enough to get by. I had a... uh... friend, I guess? He's Japanese. Most of what I know I've learned from him." When Heero bothered to teach him anything.

[happyends]

His mention about the pink being confusing makes Madoka raise her hands up to her hair rather selfconsciously.. Not that she really looks like she feels bad about it, it's just confusing how he's not even the first person to bring up her hair colour! It's hard for her to realise how un-Japanese it is in a world full of people with anime hair.

But she's also quickly distracted by what he's telling her.

"Above Earth.. So in space?" Thankfully he's not the first space-person she's met, so at least it doesn't super startled her. She looks more mildly surprised now. Duo seems so normal for someone from space! But then again, in the future even normal people will just live out in space, right.. "It's amazing you could all live together up there like that.. Is that friend of yours here as well?"

[maxwellsdaemon]

Duo picks up on the way her hand moves to her hair and is ready to jump in and reassure her it was fine, her hair colour was nice! But he'd already apparently distracted her with something else. So ready and willing for the change of subject, Duo grinned widely.

"Kinda! In my world we have these biiig space stations. Earth was getting crowded for a while. So colonies went out into space and lived like that for a while. There was travel between the Earth and the Colonies so it wasn't like it was completely separate. And I've been to Earth." He paused for a second, his smile slipping just a little before it went back up a notch and he shook his head. "Nah, he's not here. Not likely to be either. I don't think even a train as magical as this one could get his stubborn ass here!"

[happyends]

That does kind of sound like a story from the future.. Madoka slowly nods along as he explains, seeming to at least somewhat understand it.

Although then there's that slight slip of the smile.. But it's happening so quickly that the girl isn't entirely sure if she didn't just imagine it. Maybe she's reading into it and he's fine without his friend? Duo seemed to shrug this whole situation off so easily too, maybe he's just really strong!

But still.. it's Madoka. She can't help but worry just a tiny bit, just enough for her to offer Duo a small smile.

"Well.. I hope you can see your friend soon either way. No matter whether the train does manage to get him here, or because you get to go home and see him there."

[maxwellsdaemon]

Duo just grinned. He didn't need to tell the little cutie that even if he did go home, the chances of seeing Heero again were next to none. That guy had run off the second he'd had the chance. To the Preventers he imagined. And sure, he could go that way himself and maybe he'd get to see him there, but did Duo really wanna put himself through that?

"Don't worry, hon. I've made some good friends here, if I see him again it'll be nice, but it's not as if I'm alone!" How did the conversation turn out this way? Duo shifted from one foot to the other and then laughed softly at himself. How had this perceptive little cotton candy cutie managed to poke a hole though his shields so easily? Damn.

[happyends]

Him wording that sentence does smell a little of him admitting he probably won't see his friend again. But it's definitely not an issue Madoka wants to push with someone she only just met - she's much too worried about accidentally hurting his feelings. And she really wants to believe Duo is at least being genuine about having friends and not being alone.

So though it's still with the same tiny smile, she nods.

"That's good to hear.. And--" She hesitates, unsure if it goes too far to offer as much, but then Madoka shakes her head and says it either way. "Um, if you ever need someone else as company, or just to do something together with.. You can always find me somewhere on the train and ask. I wouldn't mind."

Duo seems nice enough, after all.

"Right now though.. um.. I should probably look for some people to see if they're alright after all this."

[maxwellsdaemon]

Duo's usual comic grin softened then, as did the look in his eyes. He was genuinely touched by the girls offer and so he held out his hand to her, bending a little to bring him more to her eye-level.

"Deal. If I ever find myself in a bind and looking for a friend, I'll come and look you up." It was sweet of her to offer and while he didn't think he had much to offer her, he had the feeling they were vastly different people, it was still nice of her to offer. And maybe he would actually take her up on it? A little sweetness in his life couldn't hurt, could it?

"I should do the same, actually. I hope ya find who you're looking for." Duo grinned again. "I'll see you around, Madoka."

[happyends]

There's some relief at him accepting her offer so easily. While Madoka is helpful to the very core, her natural politeness makes her fret a lot about whether or not she's crossing boundaries a little too fast.. but it seems to have paid off in this situation.

The relief is so obviously visible too - Madoka could never hide that kind of thing. Her shoulders seem to release some tension, and her smile grows a tad wider.

"Thank you." It's easy to think it's just for him saying that he hopes she'll find who she's looking for, but it's also just for being sweet and gracious enough to accept her offer. Duo seems like such a nice guy...

It's even followed up by a quick bow before she's running off, quickly trying to locate the people she knows to check up on them.

"See you..!"

[maxwellsdaemon]

Duo looked down at his hand and laughed softly to himself and dropped it to shove it and his other back into his pockets.

"I'll see you." he grinned and took himself off in the other direction. She was cute and sweet, whether he would run into her again or not was up for debate, but he wouldn't be against it if he did.